CFO reopens opportunity for new Artisanal Chicken farmer applicants

Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) has granted conditional license approval to more than 80 local farmers from around the province to join the Artisanal Chicken program and has now reopened the process to new applicants for 2016. The application-based program is the first of its kind in Canada. It was launched in June 2015 with the expressed goal of helping to address gaps in the existing consumer marketplace for locally-grown chicken.

“We continue to look for ways to profitably meet the needs of our markets in Ontario and to foster responsible farming,” said Henry Zantingh, Chair of CFO. “Our stakeholder consultations told us that there were many farmers who had identified unfilled consumer markets which were distinct from the traditional markets and distribution mechanisms for chicken. Those farmers who have been accepted into the Artisanal Chicken program will now be in a position to service those markets.”

The Artisanal Chicken program is designed for smaller scale, non-quota holding farmers who wish to grow between 600 and 3,000 chickens each year for select identified markets.

For information on CFO’s programs and the application process for the Artisanal Chicken program CLICK HERE.